Wednesday, March 23, 2016

The virtual world – research and commentary on Australian arts and culture

When I established my blog ‘indefinite article’, a couple of years back, it was because I wanted to research and comment on Australian arts and culture. This is my main blog that gets most views. It seems to have taken off. I’d always thought that, given the specialist subject matter – after all it’s not a popular culture blog like a cooking one – that it would grow steadily but no more, which all along is what I had wanted. The rate of growth has surprised me. Now, I’m starting to focus on the other blogs that have played second fiddle – about short humour, gardening and cooking and creative writing.

When I first established my blog ‘indefinite article’, a couple of years back, it was because I wanted to research and comment on Australian arts and culture, something I know something about from working for over 35 years in the arts and culture sector. I could have written about other subjects but that would just be me expressing my opinions like every other man, woman and their dog (and cat) on social media. ‘Who cares?’ I thought. ‘indefinite article’ is irreverent articles about contemporary Australian society, popular culture, the creative economy and the digital and online world – life in the trenches and on the beaches of the information age. This is my main blog and it’s the one that gets most views.

Ages ago I used the phrase on this image, thinking that I had very cleverly been the first person to think of. Recently I saw the same phrase, virtually word for word, on an Internet meme. Whether my words just drifted around on their own and were picked up and reused or whether, more likely, it's just a case of a good idea appearing at the same time in many different widely separated places, is hard to tell. There are no secrets or possessions on the Internet. Here's my illustrated take on the meme.

On the morning of 25 February it passed 8,000 views and is now just over 100 views short of the next milestone of 9,000 views. It seems only a short time ago that I was celebrating having passed 7,000 views. That amount represented the total views from when I effectively started the blog, when I left the public service in late February 2014, to 25 February this year, a period of just under two years. My most recent jump of 1,000 views, from 7,000 to 8,000, took just 5.5 weeks. Three days later I was already a quarter of the way to my next thousand, 9,000 views. I seem to have settled around 1,000 views a month.

I’d always thought that, given the specialist subject matter – after all it’s not a popular culture blog like a cooking one – that it would grow steadily but no more, which all along is what I had wanted. The rate of growth has surprised me.

At the same time, total views for all my blogs has reached 11,651. My total social media engagement has reached 19,446 and my social media reach (including things like Twitter impressions, whatever they are) is 36,410.

After two years of writing the ‘indefinite article’ blog, publishing 106 articles in all, I also realised something. Precisely because arts and culture is so central to society and the economy and therefore relevant to the politics that shapes them, it is impossible to write about it without straying into these tricky and troublesome areas. It means that on ‘indefinite article’ – both the blog and the Facebook page – I found myself starting to engage in more social, economic and political discussion.

There’s more to the world than serious articles about art and cultureArts and culture is…humorous
In contrast to ‘indefinite article’, I started ‘balloon’ because it’s always good to have a laugh. I intend to post a lot more humorous material on that blog in the near future. ‘balloon’ is thought balloons for our strange and unsettled times – short quirky articles about the eccentricities of everyday life, almost always with a sense of short black humour.

…and creative
I also have a blog, ‘handwriting’, which includes creative writing of various kinds that had been recognised in assorted competitions and outlets over the years. ‘handwriting’ is homegrown graffiti from the digital world – writing, rhyming and digital animations. It’s a neglected child but I’ll be adding more in the next 12 months.

…and food and gardening
Then I started ‘tableland’ because I wanted also to write about food and gardening for variety, as a relief from writing about hopeless politicians, chaotic arts funding and bad policies. ‘tableland’ is land to table – the daily routine of living in the high country, on the edge of the vast Pacific, just up from Sydney, just down from Mount Kosciuszko.

I’m still posting to my public Facebook page, also called ‘indefinite article’ and to Twitter for the short and sweet things in life.

To keep seeing my updates
If you would like to keep reading my posts and articles here are some things you could do:

1. Follow my blog, ‘indefinite article’ by email at http://indefinitearticle.net.au.
The easiest way to hear about new posts to this blog when they are added from time to time is to follow by email. Just go to the link for the blog, fill in your email address in the box on the main page and you will get an email confirming you want to get notifications – just click on the link in the email to confirm. Then every so often you will receive an email with a link to the latest post. If you don’t confirm by clicking on the link in the follow up email, you will not receive any updates.

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Welcome to 'tableland'

The easiest way to hear about new posts to this blog when they are added from time to time is to follow by email. Just fill in your email address below and you will get an email confirming you want to get notifications - just click on the link in the email to confirm. Then every so often you will receive an email with a link to the latest post.

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tableland

The daily routine of living in the high country – the Southern Tablelands of the eastern seaboard of Australia. Planting and growing, cooking and eating (and drinking) – and the arts and culture that springs from it and celebrates it. On the edge of the vast Pacific, just up from Sydney, just down from Mount Kosciuszko.

About Me

Stephen Cassidy is a cultural researcher and writer who has worked across the Australian cultural sector for 40 years. This has spanned policy, programs and research in government, museums, publishing, community arts and radio in four states and territories at national, state and local level. It has encompassed creative industries – including contemporary music and literature – intangible cultural heritage and Indigenous culture and languages. He was Director of the National Cultural Policy Task Force, wrote the proposal that initiated the Digital Content Industry Action Agenda, drafted the Indigenous Contemporary Music Action Plan and played an instrumental role in the adoption of Australia’s first National Indigenous Languages Policy. He has been a Community Arts Officer in local government, ACTU Arts Officer, Development Manager at community radio 2SER-FM and Membership Manager for the Powerhouse Museum. His writing has appeared in a range of publications, been recognised in various literary awards and competitions and included in several exhibitions. He is currently a member of ACT independent arts forum, the Childers Group, and an Adjunct with the University of Canberra.

My blogs

indefinite article: irreverent articles about contemporary Australian society, popular culture, the creative economy and the digital and online world – life in the trenches and on the beaches of the information age.

balloon: thought balloons for our strange and unsettled times – short, quirky articles about the eccentricities of everyday life, almost always with a sense of short black humour.

handwriting: homegrown graffiti from the digital world – writing, rhyming and digital animations.

tableland: land to table – the daily routine of living in the high country, on the edge of the vast Pacific, just up from Sydney, just down from Mount Kosciuszko.